Grain separator



`June 12,1923.

' 3,458,429 H. H. MEYER GRAIN sEPARAToR File'd Oct. 23. 1922 Patented.lune l2, 1923.

HENRY HERMAN IILIEYER, OF RED WING, MINNESOTA.

GRAIN SEPARATR.

Application led ctober 23, 1922.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that I, HENRY H. MEYER,

a citizen of the United States, residing atv tion of the invention, suchas will enablek others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

This invention relates to a grain sepa rator, and particularly to such aseparator designed to clean grain and separa-te the same from otherseeds, such as wild peas and similar seeds.' it is desirable to quicklyand efliciently separate the good grain from such foreign seeds both`for the purpose of marketing and planting the grain.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a machine, bymeans of which a large quantity of grain can be quickly and ieiiiciently separated or freed from such other seeds.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a machine havingan upwardly moving separating surface, which surface has a moving memberadjacent its upper side operative to distribute the grain in a thinlayer and to return the same to the apron so that the separation of thegrain and seeds will be effected.

lt is still another `objectyof the invention to provide such a machineprovided with a plurality of separating surfaces, which surfaces arepreferably formed by a single endless apron. l

It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide a machinehaving such an endless apron constituting two separating surfaces,together with means for varying the inclination of said surfaces andwith means for collecting the seeds and grain.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to thesame' parts throughout the different views, and in which,

F ig. l is a view in side elevation of the machine;

Serial No. 598,305.

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation thereof, as seen from the right ofFig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, asindicated by the arrows;

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged views in end elevation showing an adjustingmeans of said machine; n

Fig. 6 is a vertical. section on an enlarged scale of a detail of themachine;

F ig. 7 is a plan view of such detail;

Fig. 8 is also a vertical section on an enlarged scale showing anotherdetail of the machine; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical section on an enlarged ksca le showing a portion ofthe machine.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises a lfraine of generalrectangular outline comprising spaced vertical members l at each endthereof which are connected by longitudinally inclined members 2. Themain element of the device comprises an endless apron 3 which passestransversely over rollers extending longitudinally-of said frame, adrivingv roller 4 extends between the end members 1 and is disposed atone upper corner of the frame and the apron also passes about a roller 5at the side of the frame opposite the roller 4 and about rollers 6 and'i'` disposed, respectively, above and below the roller 5 and at theopposite side of the yframe therefrom. Another roller 8 is disposedoutwardly of the roller 7 and slightly below the same. rllhe apron 3travels downwardly at one side of the frame from the roller 4, asindicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, thence under the roller 8 and over theroller 7 thence upwardly to the opposite side of the frame and aroundand over the roller 5, thence upwardly under and around the roller 6 andagain to the roller 4. The roller 5 is journaled in vertically movablebearings 9 guided in slots 10 and the vertical members l. rlhesebearings are adjustableby threaded bolts 11 extending through aperturedbrackets on the end members 1 and provided with adjusting wing nuts 12.The roller 7 also has its ends journaled in bearings 13 guided formovements in slots 14 in the end member 1 through which the ends of saidroller pass and the bearings 13 are also provided with j bolts 15extending upwardly therefrom and 'CII having their upper ends threaded.These bolts pass through apertured brackets eX- tending outwardlyslightly from the tops of the members 1 and are, likewise, providedlwith adjusting wing-nuts 16.` By/operation i v of the nuts 12 and 16,the rollers 5 and 7 can c be vertically movedvto vary the inclination ofthe flights of the apron 3. The apron 3 is supported beneath each ofitsv transverse flights by floors or platforms 17y and 18. f. ySaidplatforms are at one side secured to and held in position by a bracket19 supported about the ends of roller 5 and the floor 17 Vfi`s=supportedl at its other sides by'brackets i' 20 secured thereto and tothe end members 1.

'The floor 18 is supported at its other lower f: Iside by' brackets 21secured theretoand supported about the ends of the roller 7.

: A trough member 22 is secured to the `outer side'of the frame andextends longi tudinally thereof adjacent ther roller 5,

'flfwhich trough-has its outer sideextendingsome distance above theupper flight of the apron 3. The trough 23 extends across the 4iframeadjacent the end of the upper flight .of apron 3,"which troughcommunicates with a lower trough 24 extending across the frame at'theend' of the lowerilight of the 'apron 3, which trough is provided withan youtletspout at its lower end. The trough 22 also has .an extension25 extending down- `A-twdcompartment hopper 27 is disposed at the'ulpper`end of the frame 1 and pro- Hvided'with outlet-spouts 28, one of whichdeliversadjacent the upper end of the upper end oftheupper flight ofapron 3 and the 'other of which delivers adjacent the upper f "end ofthe lowerflight of -said apron;L A

slide 29 having one end formed as an op- 'wferating handle isvadapted tocontrol the flow of material from both compartments of tlie hopper 27The Vroller 4 has a journalV extending at onesend of the frame to whichlisI secured a pulley 30 adapted to be driven f y 4by. albeltconnected toany suitable source of .In operation, the uncleaned grain containfJingthe wildpeas, or other seeds, is placedviii-'the hopper 27 and thepulley 30 is driven yto drive r:roller 4 and traverse the apron 3.

isdeliveredv adjacent the upper corner of 'each flight of the' apron 3.Each of these flights forms a plane separating surface inw@jf-andthe;material tends to move toward the `1"lower"corner thereof.@wing to the motion cl.ined*both longitudinally and transverselyo'f-thefapronythe materialis carried upwardlys". on v1each of saidvsurfaces'. rlfhematerial 65,

on -th'eupper surface 1will be` carried under thereof into the spout 26.

roller 6 and in passing around the same will be formed, into acomparatively thin layer. rEhe material will pass over the top of thisroller and again drop onto the upper surface of the-apron. The wild`peas being round, will acquire momentum as they drop onto the surfaceand will roll down over the apron andthe material thereon into-the A'trough 22. rlhe'iwheat or other grain will not acquire such momentum andwill merely drop back onto the surface of the apron adjacent the roller.Such wheat or other grain will pass several times about the lroller-6 asit moves longitudinally of theV aprony and will. eventually bedischarged into the trough 23, the same having been freed'fromtli'e'wild peas or similar seeds. yThe material discharged onto thesurface of the lower flight of lthe apron 3 will move ina-"mannersimilar to that; just described. r1 Such material willA be carriedupwardly and pass around the roller5 from'the'upper: side of which itwill again drop on. the separating surface. The wild-peas andsimilar'seeds 'will thus acquire momentumfandfwill roll over theseparating vsurface and the material thereon tothe lower sider of saidsurface. It will be noted `that 'ai troughis i formed at the lower sideof the apron by the roller 8 and the apron. The Apeas will roll intothis trough and pass longitudinally The j* peas vdischarged into trough22 will 'move downwardlyvthereon and-pass into the extension The spout26jdischarginginto the eX- "tension 25 all of-'the peas land otherfseeds.

will be discharged at one point. IThegrain vwhich gravitates vdown thelower separating surface will be discharged intoI the trough 24l intowhich the grain :from the upper surface is also passed so'th'at allfofthe-clean grain will be discharged at one point. The rollers `5 and,therefore, act both as guide rollers for they apron 3- and also asseparating devices for the seeds.

varied to suit various conditions and kinds Y The transverse inclinationof the-separating surface can be (if/material by adjustmentofth'evnuts`12 and 16. v

The upper and lower runs orV flights of the apron 3 thus each `forms aseparating surface and the machine thus comprises, in effect,` two.separators. f TheA material does a not passv from the upper flightorvapron 3 to The'slide 29fnow being'operated, the mate-ylfrial-passesdown through the spouts 28 and structurally and operativelycombined.

y*From the above description lit is seen that applicant has provided acomparatively simple and efficient machine foralseparating*grain*from"'foreign1 seeds and substances.

The machine, owing to its plurality effseparating surfaces, has a largecapacity and the various parts are efliciently used. The machinerequires very little power and has few parts which have any tendency tobecome disarranged. The efficiency of the machine has been demonstratedin actual practice.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, arrangement, details and proportions of the partsl withoutdeparting from the scope of applicants invention, which, generallystated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A grain separating machine having in combination, an apron having anupwardly moving surface adapted to carry grain and other seeds, amovable device at the upper end of said apron disposed above the sameand under which the grain and seeds are adapted to pass in a thin layer,said device being operative to return said material over the top thereofback onto said apron.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, said movable device being movedby said apron.

3. A machine for separating grain and impurities, having in combination,an apron arranged to form two upwardly moving surfaces adapted to carrygrain and other seeds, devices at the upper end of each surface disposedabove the same and under which the grain and seeds are adapted to pass,said device being operative to return said materialover the top thereofand bacl to said surfaces.

t. The structure set forth in claim 3, and means for varying theinclination of said surfaces. v

5. The structure set forth in claim 3, said devices constituting rollersforming guiding 'means for said apron.

6. The structure set forth in claim 8. and troughs adjacent the lowerside of each of said surfaces and extending longitudinally thereof. y

7. rThe structure set forth in claim 3, and troughs adjacent the lowerends of each of said surfaces.

8. A machine for separating grain and wild peas or similar seeds havingin combination, an endless apron, a driving roller for moving the. same,guide rollers for said apron so disposed that the apron forms superposedupwardly moving separating surfaces., each of said surfaces having oneof said guide rollers thereabove adjacent its upper side under which thegrain and seeds are adapted to pass, said rollers being operative toreturn said material from their upper sides baclrto the said surfaces.

9. A machine for separating grain and wild peas or similar seeds havingin combi nation, an endless apron, a driving roller for moving the same,guide rollers for said apron so disposed that the apron forms superposedupwardly moving separating surfaces, and a guide roller disposed at thelower side of one of said' surfaces and below the same to form a troughvextending longitudinally of said apron.

10. The structure set forth in claim 9, said driving roller beingdisposed above the upper end of said upper surface.

11. A grain separating machine having in combination, an endlesslongitudinally inclined apron, a guide roller at one side thereof,spaced guide rollers at the other side thereof disposed, respectively,above and below said roller whereby said apron has superposedtransversely and upwardly inclined separating surfaces, a guide rolleroutwardly of and below the lower of said spaced rollers and a drivingroller disposed above the upper one of said spaced rollers, said firstmentioned roller and the upper one of said spaced rollers permittingpassage of material carried by said surfaces thereunder and beingoperative to return said material from their top portions back to saidsurfaces. y

l2. The structure set forth in claim 11, and means for moving said firstmentioned roller and the lower one of said spaced rollers vertically tovary the inclination of said surface.

13. A machine adapted to separate grain and wild peas and other seedshaving in combination, a longitudinally inclined frame, an endless apronhaving superposed flights forming surfaces movable upwardly transverselyof said frame, guide rollers above said apron at the upper side of eachof said flights, said rollers forming separating devices under whichmaterial on said surfaces passes, said devices being operable to returnsaid material to said surfaces, a

trough along the lower side of each of said.

flights, and a trough at 'the lower end of each of said flights.

14. The structure set forth in claim 13, and a hopper at the upper endof said frame having discharge means delivering to the Lipper corner ofeach of said flights.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HENRY HERMAN MEYER.

